"Our first impression of Villa Anais was its great set up; the seamless flow from indoor to outdoor living. It's perched atop a mountain, like most places in St Barts, in a charming neighborhood. The natural environment is also amazing - from the clarity of the air to the wildlife freely roaming."

"Our fully-loaded itinerary included a catamaran tour with Jicky Marine. Picture cruising around on a boat, sipping champagne and listening to your favorite tunes. This is how life is supposed to be lived!"

"The beaches in St. Barts were truly incredible. We checked out Saline Beach, Gouveneur, and Shell Beach. What's more, they are almost entirely uninhabited! We almost had the whole place to ourselves."

"We said goodbye to St. Barts beach paradise, and hopped on a ferry after a fun day at Nikki Beach. The sunshine had caught up with us a bit, so we were delighted to arrive at Villa Amber to learn a private chef and five star meal awaited us."

"Peeling away from this ultra-luxe St Martin heaven was difficult: the pool was unlike any other. Our itinerary was fairly detailed, but was flexible enough for us to get in bronzing when we needed it."

"On our first day, we went scuba diving with Octopus Diving. They took us out to a coral island, Creole Rock, and dove there. The staff was very well equipped and trained, making us feel safe from anchor, to plunging, and back."

"Aside from the cigars, reserve of over 2,000 pictures, 60 videos, and new friendships with everyone we met on our journey, our souvenir is the memory of the unbelievable sunsets. Whether we watched from the villa, the beach, or a boat, we just couldn't get enough."

"We all agree that the boat tour with captain Sebastian on FunSeaker was the highlight of the trip. He was incredibly friendly and accommodating, he even started his day earlier to get us a batch of macaroons. We stopped in Anguilla for lunch and had the most succulent Mahi Mahi."

"What seas will we be diving into next? Some of us want to try Bali, others want to explore urban destinations in Europe or the United States. Wherever we go, though, we won't forget this incredible clear water and all of the people we experienced it with."

Island Hopping – St Barts and St Martin

Shayne and Fred arrived back in the office glowing like anyone coming back from a Caribbean vacation might, complete with a series of envy-worthy photos in tow. After a winter for the books that we all want to forget, a 10-day island hop from St. Barts to St. Martin was just what the doctor ordered.

It was smooth sailing from the get-go. Leaving from Montreal, there’s a convenient four-hour direct flight from YUL to SXM. Fred praises the swift journey from a practical perspective, “Traveling from the east to the Caribbean is great because you don’t have to deal with jetlag—you don’t waste time adjusting your body to the time zone.” Villa Anais in St. Barts was their first on the list. A Luxury Retreats coordinator met them at the airport, beers in hand, and took them to the dock where they had their first taste of amazing Caribbean seafood before the ferry departed. “The sun sets at the exact time the ferry crosses the island. Nature meets practicality, and it couldn’t be planned better”, notes Shayne.

Shayne, a VIP Concierge and Fred, a Villa Specialist, are anything but green to the Luxury Retreats experience. But the four friends they took along with them were in for an experience that would change the way they travel from this point forward, “This type of travel is an eye opener…everything can be customized, and the convenience of having every detail organized – from the villa, to car, private chef and activities makes all the difference in the world” notes a friend of the two, Alex.

Having every loose end tied for them allowed ample opportunity to fully dive into both islands. And they did just that: diving with Octopus Diving in St. Martin transformed the casual snorkelers into addicts, Emilie remembers, “James at Octopus Diving showed us how to navigate the incredible underwater Caribbean territory.”

The natural environment, and the many excursions were complemented by the accommodations to retreat back to and relax in after a long day’s work having fun. “Our villa in St. Barts, villa Anais, was so warm and welcoming. The Amber in St. Martin had a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous feel to it, with an infinity pool larger than most apartments, and the second villa we stayed at in St Martin, Le Mas Caraibes had an amazing Caribbean character and views to match. Three villas, three very different experiences!” says Alex.

On a trip that appears so picture perfect, it’s always curious to see if there’s any small regrets. But everyone could agree on one small problem, “Our flights back—we should have stayed longer.”